Honeymoon planning time. I would love recommendations on destinations that you love.
We are looking for somewhere we have not been before. We get married in Mexico Oct 2024 so we do not want to honeymoon there also. The honeymoon will likely be the following year. We also do not want anywhere in the states or that uses primarily USD as we would like to use the country’s local currency.
We are okay with places with pricey flights but cheap(ish) when you get to the destination.
We love the beach (lounging and snorkeling).
We love good food and cocktails. We like some hiking/viewpoints, not really into museums or guided tours but rather explore on our own. We would prefer unique hotels/boutique hotels, or air bnb’s. Doesn’t have to be luxurious but have good vibes. Want to avoid crowds or super touristy areas. We are open to places in Asia, Europe, Caribbean.
TIA

My partner and I just got back from Nicaragua and it was incredible! It has everything you are looking for.

Danielle Was it safe? I'm looking here or Costa Rica for an eco resort stay with some snorkelling and wildlife for my family of zoobiologists....

Charlie totally safe, we felt fine. It is also significantly cheaper than Costa Rica (our trip was 8 days in CR and 2.5 weeks in Nica). CR is gorgeous, but honestly Nica has everything CR has to offer at a significantly cheaper rate. More rustic in terms of travel, but we prefer that.

Danielle Nicaragua was sooo great when I was there. I have some accommodation recommendations if you choose to go there. And yes it was safe.

Alasia Mcgregor. We head to Nicaragua in winter: not fancy, lovely beaches, inexpensive…. Check out san juan del sur (beaches/ beginner surfing ); granada (colonial town); omtepe island (nature experience)

Danielle were headed to Nicaragua for 5 plus weeks next Tuesday. Amy place you thought was amazing? We've booked some west and east coast accommodations.. little corn island, popoyo, etc..

Portugal. Went there in the fall and it was amazing, and more reasonably priced than Mexico is now

Depending on how long you’ve got I love the Philippines for the variety of things you can do
Beaches - luxury or not (Boracay, El Nido, Palawan, Coron)
Tons of jungle to explore (Bohol)
So if you have time (2 weeks or more) it’s a great country to explore!
Scuba, snorkeling, motorbikes through the jungle - island hopping
I like this as everyone speaks English so it’s easy to navigate travel and I find it very affordable once you get there (Boracay is most expensive)
Happy travels!

We honeymooned in Vietnam and Thailand. It was amazing. Both are easy to navigate on your own. Extremely cheap for amazing accommodations. Thailand has the best beaches, nice hikes, active night life, awesome food. Highly recommend if you haven't been. Vietnam is more for the culture and history. Phu quoc has some decent beaches, nothing like Thailand which is why we finished there (my husband had never traveled, but I've been traveling my whole life).
Flights vary in prices, I've paid as little as $575 and as high as $1300 to get over to Southeast Asia.

Jennie I second this - both places are amazing. Hoi An in Vietnam is one of my fave places in the world!

Valerie I got stuck in Hoi An in 2020 when COVID grounded flights globally. Best 4 months of my life, it will always be another home to me

Jennie we too were in Hoi An. Got out in the last day. What an amazing place, especially with no other tourists!

Dawn it was amazing until we couldn't go outside. Still an interesting experience. I rented at a homestay with an amazing local who I have been back to visit since, I was very grateful for her presence and our google translate conversations lol

Jennie could you possibly private message me with the homestay you were at? I am considering a solo trip and would like to do a homestay. Thanks!

Valerie loved Vietnam!

Fiji,
Lomani Island Resort
Awesome

My son and daughter-in-law loved Bali. The accommodations can range from budget to luxury and flights were more reasonable than they expected.
They split their 3 week stay and spent time in the jungle, on rice paddies, glamping on a cliff over the ocean and in a luxury resort on the beach.

Japan is amazing

Amy I second Japan. Go to an outlying island. For snorkelling go to Miyakojima way in the south of Japan. Spend a few nights in Tokyo for the big city vibe and lots of cocktails, etc. But then catch a local flight to Miyako Island where you will have more tropical vibes, gorgeous beaches, etc. Japan is cheap these days. Also, very advanced technologically and culturally. People are super nice everywhere you go. Food is cheap and amazing.

Vietnam ticks all your list

We loved our Honeymoon in Bali.

How about the Cook Islands. Rarotonga and Aitutaki. We’ve been 2x and found it checked all the boxes for romance, beaches, snorkelling and culture. Plus it’s very safe and beautiful.

Cook Islands

Vicky I find it shocking there isn’t a direct flight to Rarotonga now.
There used to be and Canadians went there in droves.
It is amazing, same with many South Pacific destinations. We have done Fiji, Cook Islands, and Tahiti… all great in different ways. Cook Islands we’re my favourite due to the value and laid back vibe.

Scott it's very laid back

Scott You can fly Hawaiian Airlines from Seattle - HNL - Rarotonga.

I second Portugal. Amazing food, beautiful sights, great wine and relatively cheap for Europe.

Vania yes! Spend at least 4 days in the Douro Valley sipping wine and taking in the incredible views

Vania where do you recommend in Portugal for nice beachy vibe with great restaurants and shops

Lisa Algarve region has beautiful beaches. I stayed in Lagos and loved it there. The water is very cold, but being used to water temperature in Vancouver beaches helped.

Vania thanks
This is one of the places I researched

Thailand

Taiwan!!
Or Vietnam, Thailand, Fiji! Asia is a great choice!

We honeymooned in Bali, was amazing!

Barbados is our favourite! Great food, people, music, and snorkeling. Curaçao has great snorkeling as well.

Shannon Barbados is expensive
. Won’t go there again.

Thailand , Thailand , Thailand.
Fabulous food, people, best beaches and great snorkeling. Never used a guide, recommend getting a lonely planet and researching what interests you most. Been 3 times and never disappointed.

Bali

Jamaica. Ocho Rios was our 1st trip. Stayed at the Couples San Souci. Beautiful resort , great food and great property. Next we would go to Negril. Researching the area I found a mountain resort more in the jungle called
Zimbali Retreat. Definitely going to check this place out when we go. 2 nights there and 5 nights Couples Negril is our plan for next year.

St. Lucia is beautiful they have many sandals resorts the island is amazing the food is delish

Sri Lanka. Flights suck, but once you get there it's pretty inexpensive and beautiful.

Fiji
Antigua
Cuba
Bali
Costa Rica
Jamaica

Caye caulker belize is wonderful

Josee agreed!!!

Mexico City. One of the most amazing cities in the world, where you can visit a cathedral built by the Spanish in the 1500s with bricks from a nearby Aztec site, and an hour away see an Aztec pyramid. Where else can you see that? Historic centre has lovely boutique hotels, fine, affordable dining, and the city has some of the most amazing museums. Not the cleanest city in the world, and the subway is sketchy, but it's worth every penny saved!

Mexico is a very big and beautiful country. Why not get married in one place and honeymoon in another?

Japan, Seoul or Thailand are great places to travel to

Hawaii....Mauii

Bali then take the boat to Gili Trawangan. There are no cars on the island just bicycles, horse/buggies/ bungalow cabins and great snorkeling. It was paradise 10 years ago.

Milos, Greece checks off all your boxes! Beautiful blue waters, amazing beaches, landscapes that you’ve never seen before, food and drinks are not super expensive. Go at the end of September to miss the bulk of tourists.

Costa Rica

I've heard great things about Croatia. So much coastline to explore. Never been but looking to in the future.

Hamansi, Belize

Costa Rica was excellent

Bali!

Our honeymoon was on Aitutaki in the Cook Islands. I have travelled to many places and it remains my favourite.
You can rent a motorized scooter to travel around the island and even get a Cook Islands drivers licence.
Really not touristy, authentic feeling, and not crowded at all. The snorkeling is amazing.
This little boutique resort was where we stayed and really nice and laid back. Lots of places to eat within a short scooter/bike ride
https://www.etumoana.com/.../boutique-hotel-aitutaki-cook...
ETUMOANA.COM
Boutique Hotel on Aitutaki Cook Islands South Pacific

Bali

Croatia

Thailand and Vietnam!

My husband and I got married a year ago and we went to Bali for our honeymoon. We had to stop in Australia for a 12 hour layover and so we took the train from the airport to downtown Brisbane and explored and it was pretty cool. We spent a month in Bali and it was so freakin’ gorgeous!!! I documented our whole trip and have an incredible itinerary. I think when deciding where you want go…:what is it that you want to get out of the trip and how long do you have? Do you want relaxation? Or do you want adventure? Are you wanting to stay in one place? Or are you wanting to travel around? We wanted a lot of adventure and exploration with some down days along the way where we relaxed. If you would like to check out my adventure, just private message me and I will add you and you can see the album and documentation. I 100% recommend Bali
we had so many massages and the most beautiful/breath taking scenery and sunsets

Tawnya I would love to see this if you don’t mind sharing,

Lisa hi there. I will see how to share…

Tawnya thank you. I am so intrigued with Bali and would love to go there with my two sons

Blue horizon boutique hotel in Vieques. It's a small island off the coast of Puerto Rico, beautiful beaches , wild horses and the hotel is overlooking the water , its a collection of cottages beautifully decorated , food is first class. We had the pleasure of staying there a few years ago and would love to go back.

https://bluehorizonboutiqueresort.com/
BLUEHORIZONBOUTIQUERESORT.COM
The Blue Horizon Boutique Resort

Italy is amazing. So easy to travel around with the train and so much histroy there..

Shannon, I totally agree, but it’s not cheap!

Brenda that is true. Unfortunately. We went back in may and it was a trip of a lifetime.

Shannon, it’s worth it, though. We’re going back next fall. Glad you enjoyed your trip!

We were in Italy last year and all forms of transportation went on strike leaving us stranded and then a friend went 5 months later and the same thing happened to her so I don’t trust their transport system however Greece was amazing

Price helps.
Can't beat Hawaii though.

Bali is spectacular

Thailand!

Georgia was beautiful

Hailey I’m planning an adult family vacation this June and Georgia is on our list. Could you share some “do not miss” places to experience - food and sights?

Heidi we did Tbilisi and batumi and they were amazing. 10/10 would recommend

Vietnam.

Portugal come to mind.

Hoi An vietnam

Bali

Barbados! The most spectacular beaches!

Almost everywhere take usd and it does hurt the pocket being Canadian. Aruba is beautiful.

I can not recommend Vietnam enough. We hiked I. Rice paddies and bamboo forests, we beached, we wandered aimlessly and saw amazing things. Cheap and the food was awesome

We loved Fiji! Yasawa islands.

Ecuador & Colombia were both spectacular, especially when you stayed out of the big cities

Croatia is amazing

Fiji

Japan , according to my nephew who has travelled a lot. And also New Zealand, which I loved ( and the two islands are very different from each other). Both have wonderfully friendly people!

Mauritius.

Bali

Belize is amazing… stay away from Belize city, but San Ignacio is absolutely crazy awesome!!

Self drive safari in Kenya
Very affordable (250 a day) and an incredible adventure
You’d be making memories for a lifetime

Thailand!

Greece is cheap and gorgeous, also Porto, in Portugal, Belize excellent for snorkeling i heard

We loved Portugal

Thailand

St Lucia. We went there for our honeymoon and stayed at Calabash Cove... AMAZING!

Taiwan - people, food, safe, hs, mountains, waterfalls, cycling, hiking, easy to get around, no bigger than Vancouver Island, people, surfing, warm (hot in Summer), food, high speed rail, inexpensive, night markets.
The kindest, friendliest, most helpful genuine people I've ever met...paired with bonkers good food. You're set!

Bali

Betti yes on Taiwan.
Taiwan - people, food, safe, hs, mountains, waterfalls, cycling, hiking, easy to get around, no bigger than Vancouver Island, people, surfing, warm (hot in Summer), food, high speed rail, inexpensive, night markets.
The kindest, friendliest, most helpful genuine people I've ever met...paired with bonkers good food. You're set!

Morocco! Super cheap, amazing beaches and you also have mountains, the sahara, small villages or big cities. You can fly to Casablanca from Vancouver through Montreal. I am in Essaouira right now. Here's the beach

Thailand
Malaysia
Sri Lanka

All inclusive at Maldives?

Fiji

Fiji!!

Italy

Belize or Costa Rica. You are almost there! But it will be difficult to find places like that that take CAD

Robin I don’t need them to take CAD. I would rather use the countries currency — I just don’t want to use USD

Alasia Mcgregor I second Belize! Check out San Pedro and the smaller island Caye Caulker. We did 5 days in the big island and 4 on the small island (Caye caulker)

Agree with Mia’s suggestion of the larger island, Ambergris Caye, & the smaller island, Caye Caulker. San Pedro is the capital city of Ambergris Caye. Actually, there’s many places to stay on Ambergris Caye, other than in the city. You get around in golf carts or bicycles on Ambergris Caye.

Gloria right! I haven’t been since 2018. I got them mixed up. We can’t wait to return

I say Belize too. Second largest Barrier Reef. Amazing diving and probably snorkelling (once you dive...). Caye Caulker is cool and so chill. Sandy roads, only golf carts. Affordable. Beaches aren't that great but better in Placenta. Ruins. Cave river rides. You can easily pop over to Tikal in Guatamala for other worldly ruins (setting used in Star Wars movies).

Thailand hands down

Naxos island in Greece. Stay at St. Georges beach which is lovely and a nice 15 minute walk to Naxos town. Rent a car for a couple of days. There are ferries to Santorini, Mykonos, and plenty of other islands if you want . But to me, Naxos is perfect.

What about Santiago, Chile? It’s a short hop over the Andes to Mendoza, Argentina and wine country. But if not, Santiago is surrounded by wine country as well.

Portugal, Belizian Islands, Tonga, Northern Spain (mtns and wine)

Thailand all day long. From your list of criteria, imo it would be a great fit.

Spain

Sahar, been four times (it’s huge!) and need to go back to see the west and north. It’s not cheap but is reasonable. So much to do and see and the people are lovely.

Boracay in the Philippines. Value for your money 1 US$= 55 in Phil peso. Plus the place is gorgeous white fine sand, crystal clear water and lovely small island. Haven for snorkling too

I used to live in the Caribbean on the island of Dominica. It is a volcanic island, very mountainous, hot springs, great hiking. Beautiful place. The money there is BW. I don’t know what it is now for equivalence to Canadian dollars. Bit when we were there it was one dollar Canadian equals 2 dollars there money. We still have family there. I’d go back in a heartbeat. Look up the island. Getting more popular now but is still very natural and-laid back.
Congratulations on your wedding and wherever you decide where to spend your honeymoon- ENJOY. Make some good memories to last you a life time

Maldives .. we loved it there is a magical place !

Cook Islands. We did Rarotonga and Aitutaki for our honeymoon.

Thailand

We absolutely loved Moorea in Tahiti. The island is not touristy, and all the locals are hired so the money goes back to them, the ocean and reefs are still healthy and beautiful, and the people are so incredibly lovely. We rented a dune buggy and drove the whole island. Met people at beaches along the way, the locals all wave as you go by or stop to buy a coconut. Went up the mountain for a hike and took a leisurely day trip to an island for lunch but on the way met the sea rays. It was incredible! I’m sure it’s what Bora Bora used to be but that place is trashed and not worth the visit IMO. It’s sad what tourism does to people and beautiful places. It’s not that bad of a flight from Mexico either. Congratulations on your wedding- the Honeymoon really is where it’s at!

San Salvador is open

Belize! Check out the two main islands San Pedro and Caye Caulker. We can’t wait to go back!

French Polynesia.
Bora Bora
Maupiti
Rangiaroa
Fakarava
Moorea

Thailand vietnam Cambodia very cheap once there.
Korena de Oliveira is my travel agent she will find you a great holiday within your budget. Dm me for her number.

Greek islands

Santorini Greece. Magical

Went to Reunion island (French territory) and Seychelles. I see no one recommended those. Reunion was great for food and hiking. They’re famous for rhum arrangé. It had beaches but you can only go to protected ones as there are sharks. Prices were reasonable. It will feel like being in a mix of France and Hawaii. Seychelles was all about the amazing beaches and snorkelling. It’s not very developed in terms of tourist infrastructure. Prices were decent, depending where you go. Accommodations can get pricey if you go on a private hotel beach island.
Enjoy picking a destination ! And be mindful of what’s the best season to travel where in terms of weather.
We loved Hawaii but it’s just not really on the cheap side
Puglia in Italy was amazing but not sure about the snorkelling.

We like, we like, bu we don't want to pay fair pricing, we like cheap labor, unfair pricing but u will tip highly Right

Matamanoa Island FIJI the best!

Costa Rica. Super romantic, great food, people are amazing and they have thier own currency. There are also lots o adventure vacations you can take there that include kayaking, coimbing the volcano, surfing, etc.

Philippines

Slovenia. Stunning.

Thailand!!

We loved the canary Islands.. Tenerife if it is okay after their natural disaster..lots of varied landscape and climates, beaches, mountains great food relatively inexpensive. We flew there from England when we were there visiting family a few Christmases ago. Thailand Vietnam are good too but we thought Tenarife was an amazing change from the usual tourist destinations.

Have you been to Costa Rica? Check out Rincon de La Vieja for hikes, waterfalls, mud baths! Manual Antonio is a beautiful national park with stunning beaches and fantastic wildlife. The food was amazing all throughout CR. So many gorgeous properties to choose from. https://www.expedia.ca/Destinations-In-Costa-Rica-Boutique-Hotel.0-0-d42-tBoutiqueHotel.Hotel-Filter-Destinations?semcid=CA.UB.GOOGLE.DL-DSA-m-EN.HOTEL&semdtl=a111764437282.b1118202176270.g1aud-1689643507438:dsa-975040811940.e1m.m1Cj0KCQiAy9msBhD0ARIsANbk0A9Y44cZ87hIiM6INtCFTvYQH2SjJPhBSPIq3baJxk-MZGetgZbgBPIaAuT7EALw_wcB.r1.c1.j19001331.k1.d1673828135153.h1.i137872633456.l1.n1.o1.p1.q1.s1.t1.x1.f1.u1.v1.w1&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAACTxZ9Y79LPeF9I62b2iDYP-pNKHq&gclid=Cj0KCQiAy9msBhD0ARIsANbk0A9Y44cZ87hIiM6INtCFTvYQH2SjJPhBSPIq3baJxk-MZGetgZbgBPIaAuT7EALw_wcB
EXPEDIA.CA
10 Best Costa Rica Boutique Hotels for 2024 | expedia

Japan! The yen is the lowest it's been in 30 years!

Kay so love Japan

Vietnam is a Must Do

Japan just had some major earthquakes so check out the areas impacted before booking …. if you are planning to go soon.

Malta is cheap to stay and dine, rooms are very nice around 50.00 cdn per night sight seeing is reasonable, and everyone speaks english as it's an island its surrounded by beaches. i call it magical malta

I am in Boracay, Phillipines currently and it’s stunning!!!

Port Douglas in Australia

Croatia, Romania…for hiking and amazing people.

Fiji is fantastic. They fly directly from YVR. They only use Fijian money which you can get at the airport.
Most welcoming people in the world.

Sandals resort in Ocho rios jamaica it was amazing

We did Fiji and LOVED it.

Costa Rica. Samara.

Currently in Thailand LOVING IT! A trek to get here but really cheap when you are here and the people are lovely. Food is also unreal!

So, from where I've been, I've a few places to recommend.
The Batangas area in the Philippines is great. It is where the locals go for a vacation, so not overrun by foreign tourists to the point where they completely ignore safety. I stayed at Mayumi Resort which is basically a B&B. Nice clean rooms and you get all your meals. The cooking is Chinese-Philippino and amazing. We chose this resort because if you go along the coast, it is in the middle of the resorts which means the boat fare to take you out to scuba/snorkel is less expensive because you're never the furthest resort, in which case the fare is higher.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DJ6aL8yfH82NqgLbA?g_st=ic
The south of Italy also fits your requirements. Not very touristy. Enormous, amazing meals. The small town charm is strong here. Restaurants where they make their own wine, all the sausages and served in local crockery. Gelato that truly tastes like the fruit, and only the seasonal fruit flavours are available. I saw a lemon delivery that was just the back of a guy's little blue hatchback filled with lemons.
Rent a car (at the airport) and drive along East coast, stopping at the towns, each with their own charm, especially the ones that still have the old city walls around the old original town.
I flew into Bari and spent a few days in Matera (the UNESCO heritage place with the caves) and did some exploring along the "heel of the boot".
MAPS.GOOGLE.COM
Mayumi Resort · 4.5★(51) · Resort hotel

Türkiye

Why not try AUSTRALIA (Sydney is a beautiful city ..lots of coast to coast walking ..great restaurants ..friendjy and safe.
Rent a car and explore (an Aussie in Canada
. The flight is long, but well worth it imho
Beautiful beaches on the east coast (literally dozens of them. Safe surfing beaches. Sydney is a very cosmopolitan city ..beautiful parks ..clean and the very relaxed lifestyle is appealing . Other cities are lovely also. The flight is about 15 hours

Punta cana

I was just in Dubrovnik, Vienna, and Budapest. Easy to go between the three and have amazing food and architecture. Croatia would give you the beach vibes and if that’s a place you’re interested in Villa Sigurata (?) in old town Dubrovnik was inexpensive but cute and right in the perfect location. I also recommend trying a food tour in Dubrovnik and Vienna

Mauritius

Portugal…..amazing

Bali was amazing! I’d go back in a heartbeat!

Belize

Loved the far east coast of Bali- beach hut walk onto beach and right into ocean snorkeling. Not overrun w tourists in that area. Having said that-Japan w be all time fav for anything else!! Both very reasonably priced once ur there

Phuket Thailand

Costa Rica has the most beautiful beaches and culture

Cook Islands for sure!

Flying to Scotland

In 2022 we did a Danube river cruise with Scenic Cruises. We visited Germany, Austria and Hungary. My favorite was Vienna
. You can also extend and take longer cruises to include more countries

Portugal is where you want to go

While I agree with many of the options above, I would argue that the beaches at your back door are amazing. Consider an island hopping holiday and include Savary, Hornby, Quadra and Tofino. You could use your flight money for float planes and get even more remote. Obviously depends on when you want to go as what I’m recommending is a summer trip. Good luck!

Turkey / Istanbul = fabulous. Closer ? Try Loreto on the Baja peninsula.

Yvr has direct flights to Fiji

Going in May

Somewhere in Belize, along the coast, more shorelines than beaches, but there are lovely places by the water that would be great for a honeymoon, or somewhere to Ambergris Caye. Turks and Caicos is lovely, more beaches for sure.

We did a Tahiti & Society Islands cruise in 2016
It was awesome
The Paul Gauguin ship it’s nearly all adults and staff are super and friendly.
It only carries 330 passengers

Thailand!!!

Vietnam has some of the friendliest locals I've met, and the food is delicious. Japan is full of culture and is all around cool. Taiwan has amazing views. Your USD will go much further in SE Asia than in western Europe. Congrats on your upcoming wedding and honeymoon!

Portugal, has everything you wish for. !
Happy travels!

South Africa is fantastic.

SE Asia.

My daughter honeymooned in East Berlin and Bern last May and they loved it so much they plan on returning soon. Both locations were able to easily accommodate her gluten and dairy free needs as well. Bern was quite a bit more expensive food wise so they mostly ate picnic style there.

Maldives is perfect for a honeymoon. Thailand is also gorgeous and cheaper.

I would suggest Bali. Beautiful accommodations,good food and lovely people.

Fiji

I reccomand Nicaragua. Very safe, much cheaper than Costa Rica, and as beautiful. In particular this place https://playatesoro.com/ on the Pacific Ocean. Check out the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSlthOzGxTU&t=18s